From its more than 90 golf courses with designer tags like Greg Norman and Gary Player to its miles of beautiful beaches and posh downtown area dotted with bistros, art galleries and trendy boutiques, Naples offers a sophisticated environment with an air of exclusivity. It is Southwest Florida's opulent answer to Palm Beach: an affluent community dripping with luxurious resorts and hotels, upscale shopping, championship golf, exquisite restaurants and cultural attractions. Adding to Naples' appeal are Marco Island, a 17-square-mile barrier island with meeting-oriented properties and Everglades National Park, which is only a 45-minute drive southward. Meeting venues in Naples run the gamut of luxury to beachside comfort.
Naples is 36 miles from the Southwest Florida International Airport and 98 miles from Miami International Airport.
While no large-scale convention center exists, there are several exceptional off-site, special event venues in Naples. Among the popular options are Naples Botanical Garden, a 160-acre complex with seven different natural habitats and ecosystems and over 600 species of subtropical and tropical plants; and the NGALA Private Preserve, which features animals like camels, giraffes, leopards and Florida panther for safari- or Everglades-themed events, as well as unique facilities for team-building activities and product launches.
Naples' impressive accommodations inventory includes luxury golf resorts with large-scale meeting space, amenity-loaded beachside hotels, posh downtown boutique hotels, economical mid-size chain hotels and high-end condominiums. Hotel venues in Naples include the 450-room Ritz-Carlton Naples (40,000 square feet of meeting space), the 474-room Naples Grande Beach Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (50,000 square feet of meeting space), the 318-room Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club (35,000 square feet of meeting space) and the 727-room Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort (65,000 square feet of meeting space).
Dining venues in Naples include the Turtle Club, which serves steak and seafood and has private facilities; the artistic Cafe Lurcat, which welcomes private parties; and Bistro 821, which has a special menu for groups.
Naples' pristine beaches and lush golf courses are difficult to resist. After intensive meetings, however, downtown Naples also provides a wealth of opportunities for relaxation in the form of superb shopping, sightseeing and dining. Lined with fashion boutique shops, cafes, antique stores, art galleries and bookstores, Fifth Avenue South combines the comfortable ambiance of small-town America with a European flair. Other popular shopping and dining areas in downtown include Third Street South, Bayfront and Tin City.
